Video Script

Hello my name is Alex Galloway and I am recording this video on behalf of the Academic Resource Center. Today we are going to be talking about Edgar Allan Poe and horror fiction.

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston to two actors in 1809. His father left the family in 1810 and his mother died in 1811. After this he was taken in by John and Frances Allan. Poe went to the University of Virginia for only one semester. Poe also married Virginia Clemm and they were married for eleven years until she died. She was one of his cousins.

​Poe has written a lot of texts. Some of his most famous writings are: The Raven, The Black Cat, Ligeia, Annabel Lee, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Fall of the House of Usher. Poe is also credited with the detective mystery and also became a big name in horror fiction.

Poe was found in Baltimore wearing someone else’s clothes and unconscious. Poe was taken to a hospital and he died on October 7, 1849. This year marked the 166th anniversary of his death. His death remains a mystery to this day, with some theories being murder, the flu, and even rabbies.

Horror fiction is a genre that has been popular for a long time. Horror is intended to frighten and scare us. It also has to be read with a suspension of disbelief. This means that you have to read the story knowing that what is going on is not real. Horror has become popular with such authors like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Peter Straub, and R.L. Stine. Also with TV shows like: American Horror Story, The Walking Dead, Under the Dome, and Penny Dreadful. Also with horror movies like: Scream, and Halloween.

For more information on English 233 or other resources, please contact the ARC at arc@umo.edu or visit the website www.umoarc.com.